Snapshots of a Golden Age
by DAForever62442
Summary: A collection of one-shots centered on the Pevensies, set during the Golden Age. Will be updated when inspiration strikes, but I will try to post a few chapters each time. Mix of book verse, movie verse, and my imagination. NO SLASH OR INCEST Rating may change with future chapters.
1. Chapter 1: Aftermath

Summary: A collection of one-shots centered on the Pevensies, set during the Golden Age. Will be updated when inspiration strikes, but I will try to post a few chapters each time. Mix of book verse, movie verse, and my imagination. NO SLASH OR INCEST

Chapter 1: Lucy and Edmund: Aftermath

**Author's Note: Chapter 1! I now have a convenient place to put all my little Golden Age one-shots! As stated in the summary, I will update when inspiration strikes. Since I don't have great internet, I will try to post a few chapters at once, so it's not a super long gap between chapters. I will post the Pevensie's ages at the beginning of each chapter. **  
**About the other Golden Age story mentioned in As If We Never Said Goodbye: I will start that eventually...when I have the time...and the inspiration. Hopefully not too long from now :) **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Narnia. Or the characters, situations, places, etc. I do not own anything that you recognize. It all belongs to C.S. Lewis and Walden Media. **

**Peter: 13**  
**Susan: 12**  
**Edmund: 10**  
**Lucy: 8**

Lucy lied in bed in her large room. It was their first night in the castle, the coronation had been earlier that day, the Battle of Beruna just yesterday. She hadn't realized at the time how close her brothers had been to death. Especially Edmund. She didn't want to think about what would have happened if she had not arrived in time.

Lucy turned over and tried to get to sleep, but she could not shake the image of Edmund lying on the battle field from her mind. The sound of his strangled breathing, gasps for breath, filled her ears. The panic and worry she had felt when she saw him filled her heart; consuming her until there was nothing else inside of her. She saw the dwarf that had come to kill Edmund, to put him out of his misery. Susan's first kill.

Her older sister had become a killer at age twelve. Susan, who was always kind, always gentile. Who wouldn't let anyone smash a fly, insisting on letting it outside.

Lucy sighed, giving up on sleep for the time being. She decided to go see Edmund; she had to make sure. She had to make sure he was okay.

Tiptoeing across her room, Lucy opened the door carefully, trying not to make a sound. The young queen made her way down the hall as quietly as she could. Stopping in front of Edmund's door, she silently turned the knob and entered the room, careful not to wake her brother. The last thing she wanted was to wake him while he was still recovering from the battle. Lucy silently made her way towards Edmund's bed. In the darkness he looked like a silhouette, a mound under the covers.

Approaching as quietly as she could, Lucy hopped onto the bed; trying not to wake Edmund. He stirred in his sleep, his eyes half-opening. Well, that went well thought Lucy. "Lu? What're you doing here?" he asked blearily, sitting up a bit more. The youngest queen looked at her brother sheepishly. "I...I was remembering yesterday, when you..." A single tear rolled down the young queen's cheek.

Edmund mentally slapped himself. He should have known something like this would happen. It wasn't often that eight-year-old girls saw their brother almost die. It wasn't something that could be easily forgotten. In all honesty, he should have expected Susan and Peter as well. He had been separating himself from his siblings for so long that he was starting to forget their habits.

The Just patted the bed next to him, pulling back his covers to make a spot for Lucy. The Valiant scooted over at once, wrapping her arms tightly around her brother, assuring herself that he was there and all right. Nothing could harm him here, Orieus and the guards would make sure of that. And Peter and Susan were right down the hall. If they had seen how her older siblings had fought yesterday, any foe would think twice about crossing them.

Lucy's tears continued to fall, making tracks down her face. Edmund wrapped his arms around her comfortingly, offering reassurance. Lucy buried her face in his nightshirt, needing to know that her imagination had been wrong.

"Sh, Lu, it's okay," Edmund whispered, rubbing her back, "I'm okay." A tremor ran through Lucy's body, she looked up at Edmund. "I k-kept remembering you. A-after the battle. When Jadis..." she couldn't go on, the sobs returned anew. She reburied her face in her brother's shirt, almost soaking it through with tears. Edmund's grip tightened around her, his muscles tensing. He, too was remembering. After a moment, Edmund turned Lucy so that she was facing him, and looked her straight in the eye. "It's okay. I'm okay, Peter's okay. Everyone's fine. Aslan killed her, remember? She can't come back."

Lucy felt better, knowing without a doubt that her brother was alive. The cordial had healed him. Everything would be fine.

Edmund let her sleep in his bed that night, something he never would have done a week ago. Lucy reveled in the fact that her brother was alive, and nothing could take him away from her.

**Author's Note: And that wins the award for worst chapter ending ever! The next one has a much better ending, I promise. **


	2. Chapter 2: So We Stay Trapped

Chapter 2: So We Stay Trapped

**Author's Note: I have to say, this is one of my favorite chapters so far. No, I do not like character death, but it was fun to write. Wow, I just sounded kinda heartless...but I think you know what I mean. This pretty much wrote itself. Don't you just love it when that happens? It's quite nice. I should be able to update pretty regularly once I have everything written. I can bring my laptop to school, so I can publish things there. :)**

**DISCLAIMER: You'd think I'd own something by now. But I still own nothing. The line about Death is a modified Harry Potter quote, from "The Tale of the Three Brothers" in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The quote and story belong to J.K. Rowling. **

**This is meant to have taken place at any time, so the ages don't matter. It is a few years into the Golden Age. It is also AU. **

Trapped. Unreachable. Un-curable. Three words spoken by a healer. Three words that echo through our skulls, bouncing around. Three words our brains won't absorb. Refuse to accept. We stand there, shocked. Aslan, help her.

We sit with her, all through the night. Not wanting to leave her, yet feeling like we should. The healers tell us we should get some sleep, but none of us listen. Our legs won't move, our brains won't work. So we stay.

We hold her hands, tell her it will be okay. Even though we know it won't be. Put cool cloths on her face, keep the covers over her. There are matters to attend to, they tell us. They can wait, we tell them.

Then our voices leave us and we are silent. We cannot speak. We cannot think.

She is trapped. Unreachable. Un-curable. We don't sleep, we refuse meals. Everything around us seems blurry, detached. We are in our own world, a world of just the four of us. The girl in the bed and her three siblings surrounding her. Protecting her from an invisible foe. A foe which cannot be fought.

We never leave her alone. Not even for a minute. She doesn't know we're here. Advisors and the council can take care of day-to-day business. Training can wait. So we stay. Trapped in the worry, the fear that she will not make it. Trapped in the room, warm from the fire burning brightly in the fireplace.

She keeps fighting, she never gives up hope. Maybe she does know we're here.

But there is nothing we can do. Her condition worsens. We never leave her side. And Death takes the first sister for his own.

** *********PAGE BREAK**********

We are locked in a prison of grief, bared in. Trapped in a place no one can penetrate, suspended in a state of shock. Which soon turns into crushing sadness, weighing at our hearts, turning our brains to molten lead. How can the fire burn so brightly, so full of life, when our world has just shattered? Our world has turned gray and cold, so unlike the fire.

Life outside this room continues as usual, our people unaware that the four monarchs are now three. They will be devastated when they are told. News like this travels fast. It will not be long.

We are the four kings and queens.

How are we to go on with only three of us?

A lone figure stands in the doorway, watching. Unnoticed by the room's occupants, anxiety apparent on his face.

This wasn't part of the plan. She was not supposed to die.

**_For William  
_**


	3. Chapter 3: Fade

Chapter 3: Lucy and Peter: Fade

**Author's Note: Here comes the longest chapter yet! This chapter has changed POV so many times, it's a wonder I can keep it all straight. First it was how it is now, then it was Susan and Peter, then Susan and Lucy, now back to Lucy and Peter. **  
**Thanks to Willow Dryad and MCH for reviewing! Also thanks to everyone who added this to their story alert! It's a great feeling when I get the alert emails, I know people are actually reading and enjoying my work. =D**

**DISCLAIMER: So here's the deal. I don't own Narnia. Nor do I own characters, places, or situations you recognize. Seriously, if I did would I be writing fan fiction? **

**Peter: 15**  
**Susan: 14**  
**Edmund: 12**  
**Lucy: 10**

_Memory is a way of holding on to the things you are, the things you never want to lose." -Kevin Arnold_

Even though it has only been two years, the memories are already fading. Images flash through my mind, each one blurrier than the last. Mum, Dad, our house, school. Professor Kirke and Mrs. Macready. I hear someone approaching the balcony where I sit, perched on a wall. Susan doesn't like us sitting here, says we'll fall off one of these days. I like sitting up on the balcony, overlooking the sea. It's calm, peaceful. The exact opposite of how I feel.

The footsteps grow louder as the person approaches the balcony door. "I can hear you, Peter." The footsteps stop. "Darn. Can I come out?" I laugh slightly at his antics. "Sure." Peter appears in the doorway. He walks over to me and leans on the wall, facing me.

"Why are you-" he begins. Then he spots my downcast eyes, and a concerned-brother-look crosses his face. "Is something wrong?" I consider whether I should respond. Ultimately I decide that maybe he could be some help. "Do you remember England? And Mum and Dad? School? Professor Kirke and Mrs. Macready?"

I watch his face for any sign of recognition of the Other Place. It crosses his face momentarily, to be replaced by sadness. He sighs. "I do. It's getting blurry, but I remember." My brother's tone is laced with sadness and a touch of longing.

"We're all so happy here, I feel like we're letting Mum and Dad down. They have no idea where we are. For all they know, we could be dead. What if we come home and they're eighty, or have forgotten about us? What if they're dead?" Even I can hear the sadness creeping into my voice.

Peter walks closer to me, putting an arm around my shoulders. "They sent us away so we could be safe. We're safe here. Well, most of the time. We're also happy here. I think they'd be glad."

"Mum would like Narnia, I think." Peter smiles at my comment. "I bet she would. Susan told me how at Beruna you wanted to bring a her back a whole trunk of dresses!" I grin. "We should. If we ever get back. As I recall, that's what she said to me. We might never see mother and father again." My grin fades at the prospect, sadness entering my heart. I try to keep the tears from falling, but a few escape and run down my face.

Peter's grip tightens around me. I lean into his embrace, hiding my face in his shirt. I hope that the familiar gesture will offer some relief. It's bittersweet, really. I'm happy to be in Narnia, and I never want to leave. But at the same time I don't want Mum and Dad to worry about us. In some ways, I want to go back to the Other Place, just to make sure.

I tell this to Peter, who remains silent. He looks sadder, resting his cheek on my hair. His expression turns thoughtful, though the sadness doesn't leave his eyes. I lean against him, not saying anything. We stay like this for a while, listening to the waves crashing on the beach below us, the breeze rustling the plants near the castle.

Lost in our thoughts, neither of us register the footsteps sounding from behind the balcony door until Edmund and Susan appear there. They take one look at our glum faces and hurry over, looking concerned.

"What's going on?" Edmund asks quietly. I turn to face him, wiping the few remaining tears from my face. "Do you remember the Other Place? Mum and Dad and Professor Kirke?"

My older siblings glance at one another. Susan is the first to speak. "Do you remember that bakery near our house?" Edmund grins. "Those cookies were amazing!" I grin back, though a bit shakily. "We'd go by there on our way home from the store, remember? And Mum would always wonder why we took so long getting back." Peter shakes his head. "You would think she'd have it figured out by now. Never let kids near a bakery!"

My mood lightens as my siblings go back and forth telling funny stories about the Other Place.

"Remember the little park near our house?" I add. "The one with the duck pond?" Susan grins. "Ed almost fell in the pond once, remember?" Edmund looks indignant."No I didn't!" Peter pokes him. "Yes, you did! Susan saved you!" Edmund pokes him back. "Not true!"

I laugh at this, and remember something else. "I remember that time we swapped the sugar for salt. Dad put it in his coffee, took a sip, and spit it out all over the white tablecloth!" Susan laughs. "Mum was furious, she kept going on about how the tablecloth was stained. And all we did was laugh so hard we fell out of our chairs!" "She must have figured out we did it," Peter adds between fits of laughter, "though we hardly got punished. I think she was secretly amused."

Edmund raises his eyebrows. "Hey, I was punished! Remember? I was stuck in the house for two days! And the prank wasn't even my idea!"

We just laugh at him.


	4. Chapter 4: Lonely

Chapter 4: Susan: Lonely

**Author's Note: I feel it's time I got Susan in here =D I love writing from her POV, so it is likely that there will be more of her. This is one of those times when the finished product is very different from what I originally intended it to be. I hope you all are enjoying these little one-shots :) Thanks to Sophie Pevensie Apollo's Child, MCH, and WillowDryad for reviewing! **

**DISCLAIMER: The sad thing in which I get to say that I do not own Narnia or the characters. **

**Peter: 14**  
**Susan: 13**  
**Edmund: 11**  
**Lucy: 9**

It can get very lonely, I reflect, being a queen. The castle is always bustling with activity, yet the fact remains. As royalty, we are always in the public eye, always on display. There is no real privacy in a castle, though there are plenty of hiding spots. The attendants know these spots just as well we do.

We are only children, really. Children with the pressures of royalty thrust upon us, children with no real idea of how to run a country. How to pull a country out of one hundred years of winter and put everything back together.

Yet, our subjects accept us Maybe one hundred years of the witch's tyranny made them so desperate for change that they would accept just about anyone. Maybe it was because Aslan had put their kings and queens on the throne, or because of their success in the Battle of Beruna.

My siblings and I have had to work hard the last year to earn the trust and loyalty of our subjects.

But being royalty isn't all balls and feasts. Power comes with a price, sometimes a heavy one.

Sometimes freedom can cost a life, or two, or hundreds. Word had reached Cair Paravel earlier in the week that the army had been ambushed on the way back from Ettinsmoor.

The attack had been completely unpredicted and taken everyone by surprise. The Narnians had barely enough time to bring out their weapons before the attack was mounted, the messenger had said. They had only just got away without all being killed. Even so, many lives had been lost that day.

I had been worried sick when news of the attack had reached Cair Paravel. Peter and Edmund had both been on that campaign. They're so young that Orieus will only let them on shorter campaigns, unless it is really urgent or important.

War affects the family just as much as the victims. It's been just me and Lucy at Cair Paravel, worried sick about our brothers. This could be the time one or both of them didn't return, and we both know it. Nobody else in the castle can quite understand how Lucy and I feel. The soldiers have family in Narnia, of course, but they don't live at Cair Paravel. We have only been on the throne for a year, have not had the battle experience the soldiers have had. One careless move, one lapse in concentration, could mean death.

The halls of Cair Paravel have had a lot less laughter these last few days.

Lucy appears in the doorway, a smile on her face for the first time in days. "They're home!" she exclaims. "Peter and Edmund and everyone!" I jump up and hurry after her, as eager to see our brothers as she is.

We run down the hall and down the stairs, bursting through the wide front doors. I can see the soldiers across the lawn, looking tired but happy to be back. I run straight for Peter, Lucy heads toward Edmund.

I reach him just as he is dismounting his horse. Disregarding this completely, I fling my arms around his neck, not caring that he is covered in grime and still in his armor. He's back and alive and in one piece, for which I am thankful. He hugs me back with just as much strength. I bury my face in his neck, glad to get to be the little sister, at least for a moment.

Until Lucy comes rushing over to hug Peter, immensely happy that both our brothers returned in one piece. I release him and go over to hug Edmund, beaming. He, like Peter, has only minor injuries that will heal quickly, nothing major. Thank goodness, it could have been so much worse. My younger brother only winces slightly when I hug him, but returns the hug all the same.

Now it's not so lonely.

**Author's Note: I'm just cranking out the stories, aren't I? lol...that sounded cheesy...Anyway, I'm kinda stuck on the next chapter (I do have it partially written). Hopefully I'll get over his writer's block soon. I have a long weekend, so that should leave me with plenty of writing time :) Unless I get bogged down by homework.**


	5. Chapter 5: That Fatal Night

Chapter 5: That Fatal Night

**Author's Note: Companion chapter to "So We Stay Trapped." CONTAINS SPOILERS, don't read this chapter until you've read chapter two. Hopefully any confusion is cleared up. Thanks to MCH, who gave me the idea while we were conversing about chapter two. Also thanks to Strawberrygold, MCH, and WillowDryad for reviewing, and everyone who altered/favorited me or this story! School has cursed me with essays, geometry, and extra band practice, I'm sorry about the delay. Just blame school.**

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing except the plot. All rights to C.S. Lewis and Walden Media. **

**This takes place soon after chapter two.**

The man, Gunnar, meant to take her for his bride, but overdid the sedative. He was easy to catch. One slip up lead to careful observation, which lead to a search of his house. Which lead to a letter. Which lead to Gunnar's arrest and current imprisonment in the dungeon. They are still trying to decide what to do with him.

What do you do when you find out your sister, your best friend, has been murdered? How are you supposed to feel, how are you supposed to react?

The eldest clenches his jaw in fury at the news, tries to maintain his mask of calm. The look in his eyes betrays him. A look that is nothing short of devastated. He wants nothing more than to find the man responsible for his sister's death and run him through with the sword hanging by his side.

He wants nothing more than to curl up in a ball and cry. To ask Aslan why this had to happen, why it was her time. But he must remain strong. For his people and his family.

The middle looks stony faced and shocked. He knows evil better than any of his siblings. Yet it somehow manages to shock him, how evil people can be. Edmund has killed before, when it was a matter of life and death for him or one of his siblings or his subjects. Never in cold blood. Never for selfish purposes. The news rushes though his brain in waves, not quite being absorbed. She's gone. She's gone and she can't come back. Peter wraps an arm around Edmund, and Edmund leans against his brother. Why did it have to be her time? How could Aslan have let this happen?

The youngest looks heartbroken. She has always been able to see the best in people, the light at the end of a tunnel. But not this time. How can all be right in the world when her world has shattered? She moves closer to her brothers, simply not knowing what else to do.

They sit together on Susan's bed. Lucy on Peter's lap, Edmund at Peter's side, leaning against his brother. Peter's arms around both of his siblings. The room still has her scent, her belongings still in place. Like props in a play, everything seems artificial. As if they are all actors playing someone else's life, or in a dream. A nightmare that they want desperately to wake up from.

Though they might be too big, they need this. They need to be together, to know that the world hasn't ended. They need to know that there's still someone who cares, still some hope. Some shred of hope in a world that has never been darker.

They try not to cry more, for surely they must have cried out all their tears by now. But there are always a few more to be shed. So they cry more; holding onto each other as if they can physically hold themselves together.

That night, Edmund goes to Peter's room. Lucy is already there, curled up against their eldest. Edmund climbs into his brother's bed and lays on his other side. Peter's arm automatically wraps around his younger brother, as if he is able to sense Edmund's presence in his sleep.

A lion appears beside them, watching silently. He is courage and hope and everything the siblings need. His eyes are full of grief. His presence is reassuring to the sleeping monarchs that they are not alone.

Lucy and Edmund go into Peter's room every night for the next week. Peter doesn't mind, he needs this as much as his brother and sister. They take comfort in each other's presence; sharing stories of happier times. For the first time, they manage to feel at least a little bit happy. Until one of them bursts into tears again and the cycle restarts.

The empty throne in the line of four is a constant reminder of what has been lost. The throne between Peter and Lucy remains cold and empty; so like the body of the Gentle Queen in the ground. On the empty throne sits a wreath of white lilies. Woven from flowers that grew in the castle gardens and in the forests, it is the Animals' tribute to their queen. Her throne will remain forever empty, in her memory. No one could ever replace her, and she will never be forgotten.

The time for reunions will come. A time of joy and celebrations and hugs.  
Until that time, the three monarchs must simply mourn. The council and advisors take care of matters for a week. Then the Magnificent, the Just, and the Valiant must go back to being kings and queen.

But they never quite move on.

**Author's Note Part 2: Chapter six is partially written (like four paragraphs ^.^) but not going anywhere. I might just have to bag it and start from scratch. Long story short, there is likely to be a bit of a wait for the next chapter. Unless I get some stroke of inspiration soon, I'm pretty short on ideas.**


	6. Chapter 6: Edmund: Reunited at Last

Chapter 6: Edmund: Reunited at Last

**Author's Note: My, it's been a while. At least we all survived the end of the world! I know I said Christmas, but I was away and things got busy. This chapter just didn't want to be written. I also wanted to get Gone at least somewhat finished before I worked on this too much. So I guess my excuses are pretty lame. Thanks to WillowDryad and Strawberrygold for reviewing! Also thanks to everyone who favorited/story alerted this story! I hope there's still people reading this after so long...I've never gotten this much response for a story. Many thanks to MCH, who was a great help in the search for a plot for this chapter. :) **

**Can I still post a Christmas chapter even if it's not Christmas? **

**DISCLAIMER: After five chapters of not owning Narnia, how is this one any different? I do not and never will own Narnia, the characters, or situations. All rights to C.S. Lewis and Walden Media. **

**Peter: 16**  
**Susan: 15**  
**Edmund: 13**  
**Lucy: 11**

Winter still claims the land. The trees are still dressed in ice, snow still covers the mountains. The sea below Cair Paravel remains cold and gray, very different from the deep blue of the sea in spring. A solitary figure roams the beach, feet dragging along the sand. The figure is clad in a light blue tunic and brown boots. A thick brown coat covers the figure from the neck to the tops of the boots, shielding from the cold.

I walk along the water, contemplating. Peter is away on a campaign in the North, trying (for what seems like the thousandth time) to make peace with the giants. I have been battling a cold, and thus forbidden to come.

This knowledge infuriates me. I'm supposed to be at Peter's side, guarding his back like always. Who was going to stop Peter from doing something so insanely heroic that he got himself killed?

I've spent much of the last few weeks sulking, and, despite the cold, roaming the beach. It's the one place where I can be sure of solitude, no one else is foolish enough to come out in the cold. Everyone back at the castle is busy with Christmas decorations, something I have wanted no part in. It just doesn't feel like Christmas with Peter away fighting the giants; where he could be killed at any moment.

I look down at the parchment in his hand. I've looked at it so many times over the last week that I have it memorized by now. But it's still a comfort to see the familiar handwriting, proof that Peter is alive and as wells as he could get.

I have kept every letter my brother has sent over the last month and a half. Same as I always do whenever Peter's away. I unfold the parchment, careful not to let it blow away.

_Dear Edmund, My Royal Brother, _

_The giants are being their usual selves. You know how they get. We've tried reasoning with them so many times. They say they'll stick to the treaties, and they even sign them. And just when we think the job's done and we can leave, they attack. The giants' attacks are almost always at night, so of course we don't get to sleep much. In all honesty, the attacks are pretty predictable. Half the time they try to take me captive so they can "get to his siblings and overrule Narnia once and for all." _

_Just yesterday we lost ten more soldiers in the night attacks. Our forces are weakening, from exhaustion and the cold. Why the giants had to pick the North...Hopefully we can slip away and get out of this mess. I don't think we'll be getting any peace for a long time. It's only been three years and already we're fighting giant wars (no pun intended)._

The letter goes on to describe some of the things the nasty giants had been doing in order to avoid the treaties. Apparently they were not happy with the idea of peace.

_...Orieus says we'll be home in two weeks, assuming the giants don't kill us all._

_I want to come home, Ed. I don't want to be fighting the stupid giants anymore. Honestly, they're hardly bright enough to tell one end of a club from the other. I want to be at Cair Paravel for Christmas with you and the girls. I know it's my duty, as brother and king, to protect my family and my people. But it's still hard. _

_You'll look after them, right? I know they can look after themselves, but Lucy's still so young. Not that Su isn't too. We all are. I don't know what I would do if something were to happen to any of you while I'm away._

_Hopefully I'll be seeing you soon. _  
_Love, Your Royal Brother,_  
_Peter_

I finish reading and refold the letter, placing it back into an inside pocket of my jacket. Peter will be returning in a week, and I can hardly wait.

Not that I don't love my sisters, but with Peter gone...There's no one who really knows how to calm me after a nightmare; or can coax a smile out of me on the days when I just want to curl into a ball and sleep all day. It's just better with Peter home.

Looking up at Cair Paravel, I'm struck with an idea. Rushing back up the beach, I head to the castle. I have to find Susan to set my idea into action.

It really looks like Christmas at Cair Paravel. In every room I peek into there are candles lit in the windows and holly and mistletoe hanging from the walls and ceilings. I finally find Susan in the Great Hall, supervising the decoration of the room with Lucy. Talking birds fly the mistletoe up to the ceiling, while the girls do the rest of the room. A large tree stands in one corner, waiting to be decorated. I grin in spite of myself. It's been a tradition for us four to decorate this tree ourselves (with a little help from the birds), and we've been waiting for Peter to get back.

Sneaking up behind his sisters, I decide to have a little fun. I tiptoe really quietly up to them, and just when I reach them I tap them on the shoulders. The effect is very entertaining. Both queens instantly jump and turn around, looking to see who snuck up on them. I adopt an innocent puppy expression, hoping to lessen the wrath I'm about to face.

To my great surprise, Susan and Lucy merely grin at me, not angry at all.  
After conferring with the girls, I walk off to set my idea into action.

** **********

I sit by the window in our private living area, watching for any sign of the Narnian army. I am nearly beside myself with excitement. Peter will be home, and will get to spend Christmas at Cair Paravel. He will get to have a good Christmas after all the horrors of dealing with the giants. Christmas will give Peter a well-deserved break.

Finally, I spot the red and green flag coming across the lawn. Grinning, I run out of the room and down the hall to the main door, not caring who sees me.

Panting slightly, I reach the door just as Peter and the rest of the army is approaching it. I reach Peter just as he is dismounting his horse. The second he's off I throw my arms around him, immensely thankful that he made it home in one piece. I can tell Peter's trying to hide a wince as I hug him. Noticing this, I pull back slightly, frowning. Peter gives me a smile. "I'm fine."

I raise my eyebrows at him, a disbelieving look on my face. "Really? Somehow I doubt that." Peter's smile faces slightly. "Well, maybe not perfectly fine. But for now I am."

I hear snow crunching behind me, and turn to see Lucy running straight for me and Peter. Susan follows behind, walking because according to her running is "un-lady-like." I step away from Peter, allowing Lucy to hug him and then Susan.

Stepping back, Susan takes one of Peter's hands. I step over and take his other hand, Lucy walking next to me. We lead Peter back to the castle, snow crunching underfoot.

We enter the castle and start leading Peter toward his chambers. He has to sleep if he wants to be awake for his surprise. It's a sign of how tired he must be that Peter doesn't even protest, just allows me and Susan to pull him along.

The four of us reach Peter's chambers and get him in to bed, leaving the room to allow him to sleep in peace. We have a surprise to get ready.

** *************

A few hours later the surprise is ready. Susan, Lucy, and I have decorated our private room, which includes the not decorated tree and many boxes of ornaments. Susan made her special Christmas cookies, which nobody can help but love, and put them in the room. We also had some hot chocolate made, something we remember Peter liking in England.

I walk back to Peter's room to wake him up. He hasn't gotten quite enough sleep, but I just can't wait to show him the surprise. My brother should be rested enough to eat with us and decorate the tree.

I enter Peter's room to see that he is still sleeping soundly. I walk over to his bed and shake his shoulder. "Wake up, Mr. Magnificent. There'll be time to sleep later." Instantly Peter shifts in his sleep, waking up a little. "Come on," I urge. It takes a few minutes, but I manage to get Peter awake. He goes into the bathroom to change, emerging twenty minutes later cleaned up and dressed in a green tunic.

I stride across the room and grab his hand, pulling him along. "Where're we going, Ed?" he asks, confused. I grin. "You'll see."

The smell of pine and baking waft along the corridors, making one's mouth water just walking along. And with Peter back in one piece, everything is near perfect.

Peter and I enter our private eating area to find that Susan and Lucy are already there and sitting in chairs near the fire. The small table for four is set with cookies and hot chocolate.

Peter's face brightens when he sees the room. Striding in, he takes his seat beside Susan, looking happier than he has since before he left.

That night is the happiest we've had in a long time, full of jokes and laughter.


End file.
